Snoqualmie Pass

Issued: 1:18 PM PST Monday, November 6, 2017

by Robert Hahn

NWAC continues to monitor weather and snowpack conditions and regular updates will begin as soon as conditions warrant. Stay tuned for weekend outlooks and our announcement of the start of daily forecasting.

NWAC avalanche forecasts apply to backcountry avalanche terrain in the Olympics, Washington Cascades and Mt Hood area. These forecasts do not apply to developed ski areas, avalanche terrain affecting highways and higher terrain on the volcanic peaks above the Cascade crest level.

NWAC Fall Schedule

Winter is just around the corner! Regular NWAC mountain weather and avalanche forecasts usually begin in mid to late November. Look for an upcoming blog post detailing late Fall/Winter NWAC operations specifying our forecast schedule. For more notes on early season avalanche hazards and Fall NWAC operations, please read the section below.

If you have any comments or suggestions regarding the weather or the backcountry avalanche forecasting program, please direct them to:

Or email forecasters@nwac.us or phone 206-526-6165 and leave a message. The non-profit side of NWAC can be reached at info@nwac.us.

FALL AVALANCHE STATEMENT

As the winter season rapidly approaches, the Northwest Avalanche Center is preparing once again to provide daily mountain weather and avalanche forecasts for the Olympics and Cascades. Preparations include outreach events, office maintenance, standard training, administrative tasks, weather station installation and repair, and preliminary forecasting for program cooperators such as the National Park Service, Washington State DOT and Pacific Northwest Ski Area Association.

We will begin issuing regular mountain weather and avalanche forecasts when sufficient snow has accumulated at moderate and lower elevations to create potential avalanche danger. Usually, regular forecasts begin mid to late November, but in low snow years the start date can be later. As always, these forecasts do not apply to developed ski areas or highways.

Here are a few general notes regarding Fall avalanches:

During the Fall, the atmosphere experiences significant cooling at higher latitudes. As this cold northern air is mixed progressively southward by Fall storms, pronounced changes in the air temperatures occur over the Pacific Northwest. Wet and cool weather depositing substantial snowfall at the higher elevations can result in locally significant avalanche danger during the Fall. The most likely avalanche problems encountered in the Fall include storm and wind slab and loose snow avalanches. For more information on avalanche problems, please see http://avalanche.state.co.us/forecasts/help/avalanche-problems/.

In the Fall these avalanche problems are usually confined to permanent snow fields on the volcanic peaks and the alpine regions of higher non-volcanic peaks of the Cascades and Olympics. Generally, the shallow Fall snowpack at lower and mid-elevations still has vegetation and other anchors helping to limit avalanche potential. Use standard avalanche risk management if traveling to higher elevations with enough snow to avalanche and stay tuned for updates from NWAC as we get deeper into Fall.

Have a safe and enjoyable Fall and Winter!

NWAC

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK

This Backcountry Avalanche Forecast is provided in conjunction with the US Forest Service, and is intended for personal and recreational purposes only. Safe backcountry travel requires preparation and planning, and this information may be used for planning purposes but does not provide all the information necessary for backcountry travel. Advanced avalanche education is strongly encouraged.

The user acknowledges that it is impossible to accurately predict natural events such as avalanches in every instance, and the accuracy or reliability of the data provided here is not guaranteed in any way. This forecast describes general avalanche conditions and local variations will always occur. This forecast expires 24 hours after the posted time unless noted otherwise.